Global Carbon Markets Conference from S&P Global Commodity Insights

Scaling a credible and transparent Carbon market in pursuit of net-zero goals

Following the success of the inaugural in 2022, we are delighted to announce the return of the November Global Carbon Markets Conference offering the opportunity for the Carbon community to align views and form one voice in advance of COP 28.

While nascent today, the Carbon markets are projected to grow significantly over the next decade. To restore confidence and fulfill its potential as an important tool in the mission to achieve 2050 climate targets, this growth must be managed responsibly through credit standards and compliance regulations which function alongside an increasingly complex and scaling Carbon market infrastructure. As the market undergoes significant transition and with this renewed focus on integrity and quality initiatives, it has never been more important for Environment, Climate Change and Carbon Leaders to come together and review the market and policy developments.

Topics covered

• Preview what’s to come at COP 28 on Article 6 and the market implications to follow
• Examine the proliferation of national Carbon programs (markets or taxes) and connecting global trends
• Spotlighting emissions mitigation tech and contributions to net-zero goals
• Best practices for scaling nature based solutions, investing in natural capital and biodiversity
• Assess the role of ratings and agreed Carbon principles in achieving transparency in the voluntary Carbon market
• Explore market infrastructures and how to support the scaling up of the voluntary Carbon market

Who attends?

THIS EVENT STARTS IN

Super Early Bird Rate: $1,695

Early Bird Rate: $1,895

Standard Conference Rate: $2,095

Networking app access is included with your registration
Enjoy early access to the registration list, 1:1 direct messaging, extra content, and more.

Event registration closes on:
Thursday, November 2, 2023

Duration: 2.5 days

November 6 - Supplementary Pre-Conference Training Course and GCM Conference Welcome Reception

8:00 Supplementary pre-conference training course begins
17:00 Supplementary pre-conference training course ends
For further information on the supplementary pre-conference training course only, please click here.
17:00 Global Carbon Markets Conference Welcome Reception
Please note: Entry to the welcome reception is included as part of your conference pass

November 7 - Global Carbon Markets Conference, day 1 agenda

8:00 Registration and networking breakfast
9:00 Chair’s welcoming remarks
Opening: Preview COP 28 and its effects
9:10 Keynote: What to watch out for at COP 28
• Expected deal on Article 6.4: Progress, timing and impacts of adjustments
• Lack of clarity on the trading of carbon credits in a compliance environment (Article 6.2 and 6.4)
• Developments surrounding the Article 6 eligibility criteria 
• Progress on rules for multilateral Carbon credit trading system
9:35 Leaders panel: Nationalization and restriction of carbon markets
• Examine the countries getting ready to produce article 6.4 credits
• Countries looking to sell or hold credits: Does this play in favor of carbon credits?
• Making sense of Article 6.2 at a national level: The selling, pricing, and reporting of carbon credits 
The future of carbon markets
10:15 Convergence of compliance and voluntary carbon markets at different levels
• Evolution of the VCM alongside its relationship with Country Actions Under the Paris Agreement
• Interaction of the VCM and compliance market and how this interaction will develop
• Impact of increased fungibility of carbon credits across compliance and voluntary markets 
10:40 Networking & refreshment break
11:10 Fireside chat: Explore the range of scenarios around carbon markets growth
• Look back on record growth of the Carbon markets in the last 2 years
• Consider what the growth of VCM in spite of economic headwinds indicates
• Contemplate what is in store for the Carbon markets in 2024 and beyond 
Examine the proliferation of national Carbon programs and global trends
11:40 Importance of CBAM as a stop sign: Is the EU ETS still the right direction?
• Putting a fair price on carbon-intensive good entering the EU
• Markets targeted by EU’s CBAM: Cement, iron, steel, aluminum, fertilizers, electricity, hydrogen
• Production in EU versus importers
• Hedging CBAM cost
12:05 Panel discussion: CBAM, WTO ruling scenarios and the implications on international markets
• Impacts of the EU’s carbon adjustment mechanism beyond Europe
• CBAM’s impact of trade from APAC, Africa, and Middle East: Addressing rising concerns
• Social impact of CBAM and the world trading system
12:45 Networking lunch
14:00 Fireside Chat: Other certificate markets: Where are the gaps in creating fully functioning credits?
• Innovations in environmental products: iRECS, GOs and other emerging certificates
• Should there be a hydrogen credit?
• Importance of enabling flexibility and nimbleness in the VCM 
14:30 Not a choice of one but a blend of both: Carbon reduction and offsets
• Creating a healthy mix of decarbonization goals (particularly scope 3 emissions) with Carbon credits
• Using offsets for hard-to-reduce GHG emissions alongside direct measures
• Why Carbon markets needs to be viewed in the context of a credible sustainability plan

Case study on tech-based removals
14:55 Explore the science of today: Market-ready tech-based removals
• Overview of the Carbon removals markets: Carbon removal volumes and demand per year
• Challenges of scaling Direct air capture: Policy gaps, labor gaps, costs, and financing
• Carbon utilization versus storage: What is more economical and efficient?
• Hear use cases and the role of Carbon capture, utilization, and storage in the industry
15:20 Networking and refreshment break
15:50 Debate: Should we use carbon removals net-zero claims to offset residual emissions?
• Examples of how to use CDR solutions as part of a credible pathway to reach climate goals
• How to identify high-quality CDR solutions: design a CDR portfolio and source CDR solutions
• Build the framework for Carbon removals certification
16:20 Panel discussion: Recognizing Carbon as an asset that can be financed
• Why inflation and market weakness had no impact on low Carbon financing
• Understand green investment criteria and top opportunities: Geothermal, CO2 removal
• Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act and RePowerEU on low carbon investment
• Inclusion of climate indicators in economic models to support climate investment
17:00 Networking Drinks Reception

November 8 - Global Carbon Markets Conference, day 2 agenda

9:00 Networking breakfast
9:30 Chair’s recap of day one
Scaling nature based solutions, investing in natural capital and biodiversity
9:40 Scalable and cost-efficient conservation efforts
• Ensuring efforts contribute to net-zero and not greenwashing
• Pledges to restore protections for rainforest (Brazil)
• How demand is currently outpacing credits produced by farmers in programs 
10:05 Debate: Fact-checking statistics quoted on nature-based offsets in 2023
• "More than 90% of rainforest Carbon offsets by biggest certifier are worthless”
• "Only a handful of rainforest projects show evidence of deforestation reductions”
• "The threat to forests had been overstated about 400% on average” 
10:35 Panel: High-level integrity principles to inform a biodiversity market: Putting a price on nature
• Ensuring positive impacts on nature, people, and climate
• Inability to have one single metric to measure biodiversity: Creating a basket of metrics
• Raising confidence in nature using satellite imagery: Data on the health and status of forests 
• Physical risk attached to investing in nature: Data from wildfire detection tech and insurance claims
11:15 Networking & refreshment break
Role of ratings and Carbon principles in achieving transparency in VCM
12:00 Keynote: Zoom in on Carbon principles: What guidance are standards setters providing?
• Guidance on what it means to be net zero and the actions organizations can take to reach that goal
• Holding companies accountable for their emissions reduction targets
• Aligning net zero goals to the SBTi methodology and validation processes 
12:25 Interview: Understand what makes a high-quality Carbon credit
• Reviewing the eight environmental integrity driving Carbon credit quality
• Due-diligence and quality assurance capability that can assess Carbon credits
• Deploying data led, standardized, and clear quality assurance processes
• Validation methods for Carbon credits: Building a reputable monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) frameworks
• Consistent validation methods for Carbon credits enabling accurate and comparable measures
12:55 Debate: Addressing key questions on additionality and permanence of Carbon credits
• Should you get credit for what you are already doing voluntarily? Where could this benefit goals?
• Have future forecasts been overly pessimistic in terms of baseline deforestation rates?
• What would have happened in the absence of the Redd+ activity?
13:25 Networking lunch

Exploring market infrastructures and how to support the scaling up of VCM
14:55 A tale of two markets: Comparing cash and futures in the voluntary Carbon market
• What is happening in cash market versus interest expressed in futures?
• Behavior in a “nice to have not, need to have” market: Is this driving the price dynamic?
• The heterogenous suite of Carbon credits: A market more comparable to Oil?
• Consider the 5 characteristics that might trade in the market and how this will be defined and endorsed?
15:20 Panel discussion: Enabling users to trade Carbon credits more easily and on a global basis
• New technologies and market infrastructures to help scale-up of VCM
• Frameworks and standardization to support transactions, measurements, and verification
• Building Carbon credit transaction definitions and templates
• How blockchain technology can enhance transparency and efficiency in VCM
16:00 Fireside Chat: Hear from the buyers of Carbon credits
• Understand the buyer’s perception of Carbon credits
• Hear Carbon credit purchasing strategies: Response on buying government or voluntary certified schemes
• Working with credit rating agencies or using third parties for due diligence
• Navigating various standards and finding high-quality Carbon credits at a transparent price
16:30 Chair’s closing remarks
16:40 End of Conference